


Fifty Points Apiece

by Jaxon



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Canon Compliant, Gen, Missing Scene, Tumblr Prompt, well sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-03-04
Packaged: 2019-03-27 02:32:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 952
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13871238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaxon/pseuds/Jaxon
Summary: Following her hospitalisation, Minerva McGonagall is back.  And almost immediately she's thwarting Severus Snape, handing out copious amounts of house points...Missing scene from OotP.





	Fifty Points Apiece

**Author's Note:**

> The first half of this work is JK Rowling's own work, from OotP.  
> The second half is the scene that I feel should've/could've played out after Harry departed...

Snape looked toward the giant hourglasses on the walls and gave a sneering smile.  “Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hourglass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to —”

“Add some more?"  Professor McGonagall had just stumped up the stone steps into the castle. She was carrying a tartan carpetbag in one hand and leaning heavily on a walking stick with her other, but otherwise looked quite well.

"Professor McGonagall!” said Snape, striding forward. “Out of St. Mungo’s, I see!”

“Yes, Professor Snape,” said Professor McGonagall, shrugging off her travelling cloak, “I’m quite as good as new. You two — Crabbe — Goyle —"  She beckoned them forward imperiously and they came, shuffling their large feet and looking awkward.  "Here,” said Professor McGonagall, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe’s chest and her cloak into Goyle’s, “take these up to my office for me."  They turned and stumped away up the marble staircase.  

"Right then,” said Professor McGonagall, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall, “well, I think Potter and his friends ought to have fifty points apiece for alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who! What say you, Professor Snape?”

“What?” snapped Snape, though Harry knew he had heard perfectly well. “Oh — well — I suppose …”

“So that’s fifty each for Potter, the two Weasleys, Longbottom, and Miss Granger,” said Professor McGonagall, and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor’s hourglass as she spoke.  "Oh — and fifty for Miss Lovegood, I suppose,“ she added, and a number of sapphires fell into Ravenclaw’s glass. "Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr. Potter, I think, Professor Snape — so there we are…”

A few rubies retreated into the upper bulb, leaving a respectable amount below nevertheless.

“Well, Potter, Malfoy, I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this,” Professor McGonagall continued briskly.

Harry did not need telling twice. He thrust his wand back inside his robes and headed straight for the front doors without another glance at Snape and Malfoy.

“Did you not hear me, Malfoy?”  Professor McGonagall glared at the young man who remained fixed to the spot.  "Outside.“

Draco cast a glance at his Head of House.  "I wish to speak with Professor Snape-”

“As do I,” she responded tartly.  "Professor Snape’s office hours for students are from 7pm, I believe?“  She was met with stony silence from both males.  "Am I mistaken?  Are they not, Severus?”

“They are,” Snape replied stiffly.

“Then Mr Malfoy will arrange to see you then,” she said.  "For now, I require Professor Snape’s presence.“

Draco opened his mouth to argue, but at Snape’s dark look, he gave a slight nod in acquiescence.  "As you wish, Professor.”  He glanced in Snape’s direction.  "May I see you at 7pm, sir?“

"I have an appointment with the Headmaster,” he said, gruffly, his chest tightening as he saw Draco’s stature slump at the rejection.  "I shall send the Baron to request your presence once I am free.“

At his promise, Draco’s shoulders lifted a fraction, and then he moved towards the heavy doors through which Harry had long since departed.  "Thank you both, Professors.”

As soon as the blond boy had disappeared, Snape turned to McGonagall, his face full of fury.  "Was that necessary?  The boy has just lost his father!“

"I have not yet finished,” McGonagall said, ignoring his rage and waving her wand.  A shower of emeralds tumbled into the Slytherin hourglass, pushing its contents far higher than the other three.

“…what are you doing?”

“-and I rather assumed you did not wish for Lucius’ son to witness this.”  Still leaning heavily on her stick, she leant towards Snape’s ear, her voice newly lowered.  "Fifty points to Severus Snape for alerting the world to the return of You-Know-Who.“

Snape stood back as if he’d been slapped.  McGonagall thumped her stick on the ground and moved even closer to her fellow teacher.  She waved her wand again.

"And ten emeralds more to Severus Snape, because it takes a great deal of courage to stand up to one’s enemies, but even more to stand up to your friends.”

“You did  _not_ just compare me to Longbottom.”

McGonagall appraised him critically.  "I cannot imagine the young boy you once were daring to stand up to Lucius Malfoy.  To have played your part in his downfa-“

"Don’t!” he hissed.  "Don’t gloat, Minerva.“

"I am not gloating,” she argued, her hand reaching for his, but he pulled away as if he’d been burnt.

“That boy that you speak of,” he said, glancing behind him, checking for eavesdroppers, “owed Lucius Malfoy the earth.  And now that I’ve effectively sent him to prison, and left his wife and his son at the Dark Lord’s mercy, I owe him all over again.”

“Severus-”

He shook his head sharply.  "I no longer pledge my loyalty to the Dark Lord but…“  His right hand absently scratched at his left forearm, and she wondered if he was even aware that he was doing it.

"But?”

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that any of this is easy.”

She gripped his forearm tightly, her hand covering his and stopping his movements.  "After you’ve seen his boy, come to my study.“

His lips twisted into a familiar smirk.  "For office hours?  I really must inform you that I no longer require extra instruction in Transfiguration.”

She mirrored his amused expression.  "No, but your education in finest single malts still leaves something to be desired.“  She paused, and then squeezed his forearm firmly before she moved away, the steady thump of her stick echoing around the corridor as she made her way to Gryffindor Tower.


End file.
